Vessel-propelling mechanism.



PATENTBD DEC. 4, 1906,

M. B. HUNTER. VESSEL P-ROPELLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1908.

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M. B.-HUNTBR. VESSEL PROPELLING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 19, 1906.

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No. 837,568. PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906.

' M. B. HUNTER. VESSEL PROPBLLING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1906.

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UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VESSEL-PROPELLING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

Application filed February 19,1906- Serial No. 301,796.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN B. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vessel-PropellingMechanism, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to vessel-propelling mechanism, and the generalobject of my invention is to obtain higher efficiency than is possiblewith present mechanisms of this class.

Asecondary object is to provide a combined propeller and brakingdevicethat is to say, a propeller which may be so adjusted as tomaterially retard the onward movement of the vessel.

A further object of the present improvement is to provide means forautomatically and quickly reversing the propeller devices withoutreversing the direction of running of the driving-engine.

By way of comparison with side-wheel or stern-wheel propellers otherobjects and advantages arising from the use of my improvements will bepointed out hereinafter.

WVith the above-named objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel and peculiar features of construction and combinations of parts,as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it maybe fullyunderstood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, 1n whichFigure 1 is a plan view, partly in section on the line a b of Fig. 2, ofa boat equipped with my improved propelling mechanism, showing the reartwo sets of paddles in propelling position. Fig. 2 is a left-hand sideelevation of the same, the parts being in the position shown in Fig. 1and the forward portion of the vessel being broken away. Fig. 3 is asectional elevation, enlarged, of the gearing for each side of thevessel, the section being on line 0 d of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail planview, its shaft in section, of one of the pairs of paddles in ahalf-extended position and in open and closed positions in dotted lines.Fig. 5 is a detail sectional plan of the brace connections to thevertical shaft, the section being on line efof Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is adetail side elevation, partly in section and partly broken away, of oneof the propellers and its carriage. Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view ofthe carriage shown in Fig. 6, and the reversing rack which cooperateswith devices mounted on the carriage for reversing the propeller. Inthis view the gunwale of the vessel is omitted in order to expose therack to view. Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional de tail taken on the lineg h of Fig. 2, showing the means for shifting the reversing-rack. Inboth Figs. 7 and 8 the rack is shown in operative position.

1 indicates the hull of a vessel, of which the stern is at the right inFigs. 1 and 2.

2 and 3 indicate upper and lower trackways strongly secured to the sidesof the hull, extending from end to end thereof and ad apted to supportfour longitudinally-reciprocating propeller-carriages 1. Each of saidcarriages is provided with flanged antifrictionwheels 5, which arepreferably fixed upon rotary journals 6, mounted in boxings 7. The lowertrackways 3 support the carriages, while the upper trackways prevent thewheels from leaving them.

Supported by each carriage 4 are two paddles 8, which are mounted,preferably, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. A vertical shaft 9 passes looselythrough an opening in the carriage 1, which is shown as a solid block.The upper portion of said shaft is threaded, and mounted thereon is aninternally-threaded hand-wheel 10, the hub of which rests upon a sleeve12, which rests upon a pinion 13, which in turn rests upon the carriage.Thus the weight of the shaft 9 and the parts su )ported by it istransmitted to the hand-wheel 1.0, and it is evident that by turningthis wheel in one direction or the other the shaft 9 will either beraised or lowered, the obj ect of which will be stated hereinafter.

The shaft 9 is braced at a point below its carriage by two threadedbraces 14, the lower ends of which are connected to a clam 15, whichembraces said shaft loosely enougii to permit rotation and verticaladjustment thereof. The braces 14 pass upwardly through slots in thecarriage and are provided with nuts 16 above and below the same, tubularbosses 17 being interposed between the nuts and the carriage, as shown.When shaft 9 is raised or lowered, the braces 14 may be correspondinglyraised or lowered by readjusting the nuts 16.

The paddles S are loosely attached to the shaft by means of straps 18,riveted or bolted to the paddles. These straps are supported by blocks19, rigidly fixed upon the shaft by set-screws 20. Said blocks areprovided with integral laterally-projecting arms 21,

which act as etc 5 to arrest the rotary move ment of the padd es whenthey assume a transverse or open position in operation.

A collar 22, provided with a set-screw, may be placed upon the shaftbelow the clamp 15 for supporting the braces when the latter are raised'and before the upper nuts are run down.

Two diametrically opposite keyway-gro oves 23 are cut in the upperortion of the shaft 9. A latch or dog 24 is sfidably mounted in a deepgroove cut in the carriage-block and is pressed inwardly against theshaft by a spring 25, and its inner end engages one or t e'other of thekeyway-grooves 23. A portion of said latch projects above the top of thecarriage, and this portion is provided with a slot, through whichextends a latchoperating lever 26. Means are provided for preventinglongitudinal motion of said lever. As shown, studs 27 have this effect.Projecting upwardly in contact with the inner edge of lever 26 are twofulcrum-studs 28 and 29. When the inner end (in Fig. 7 the upper end) ofsaid lever is forced laterally in either direction, it is obvious thatthe latch or dog 24 will in either case be retracted from thekeyway-groove in the shaft, either stud 28 or stud 29 acting as afulcrum according to the direction in which lever 26 is moved.

The inion 13, hereinbefore referred to, is secure on shaft 9 by a pairof keys 30, and when turned one-half a revolution reverses the facingdirection of the paddles carried by said shaft. Before describing themeans by which said pinion is turned to effect such reversal of thepaddles the mechanism for operating the two carriages at each side ofthe vessel will be described.

Two transverse crank-shafts 32 and 33 are journaled in bearings 34 andin a head-block 35, secured to the outer side of the hull. Fixed u onthe inner ends of said shafts, respective y, are cog-wheels 36 and 37,and fixed upon the outer ends of these shafts, respectively, are cranks38 and 39. The forward crank 38 is pivotally connected to the forwardcarriage 4 by a pitman 40, and the aft crank 39 is pivotally connectedto the aft carriage 4 by a pitman 41. As shown in Fig. 1, these pitmen40 and 41 are bent intermediate their ends, the effect of which is topermit the trackways to lie closer to the side of the vessel, and in thecase of the inner crank-arm the bending is necessary in order that thepitman may have proper connection to its carriage. The aforesaidcog-wheel 36 is driven by a cog-wheel 42, preferably of smaller diameterif the engines employed are small and of high speed. This cog-wheel orpinion 42 drives also a reversing cog-wheel 43, which meshes with thecog-wheel 37 on the other crank-shaft 33. The driving-wheel 42 is fixedupon a main crank-shaft 44, which is provided with a fly-wheel 45 and anenginecrank 46. Thus when this shaft is rotated the two crank-shafts 32and 33 will be turned in opposite directions, owing to the action of thereversing-wheel 43.

49 indicates an engine-cylinder, the piston rod of which is connected toa connecting-rod 50, which is connected to the crank 46. The enginesshown are a special type of steamen -gine having trunk-pistons and novalvec-hests; but motors of any kind may be employed.

The mechanism above described is exactly duplicated upon the oppositeside of the vessel, and the same reference characters indicatecorresponding parts. There arev tWo engines placed side by side. Theircylinders are connected by pipes 51 to a steam-supply pipe 52, whichruns to a steam-generator 53. In the main pipe 52 is provided a hand orthrottle valve 54, and in the respective branch pipes 51 are hand-valves55. The operation of said valves will start and stop the engines.Normally both of the engines are operated simultaneously, though one ofthem may be started or stopped before the other.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the cranks 38 and. 39 are soset that when in operation one of them draws the forwardpropeller-carriage rearwardly while the other crank draws the rearpropeller-carriage forward. Then when the cranks have passed thedead-center points the one pushes the forward carriage forwardly, whilethe other pushes the rear carriage rearwardly. In Fig; 2 the forwardcarriage has just started upon its forward stroke, and its paddles 8 ofcourse fold together and trail backwardly. The rear carriage hasproceeded a little farther on its active stroke, and the reaction of thewater upon the paddles spreads them apart, as shown, so that their fullsurface is directed perpendicularly to the direction of thrust. Theoperation of the paddles at the other side of the vessel is the same,and the forward paddle at the opposite side should operatesimultaneously and in the same direction, likewise the rear paddles.

As heretofore stated, the direction of propulsion may be reversedwithout reversing the engines. This is accomplished as follows:Eachvertical shaft as aforesaid, carries a pinion 13. Directly in thepath of each of these pinions, which are reciprocated, as shown, isplaced a toothed rack 56, which is immovable longitudinally but has alimited freedom of movement in and outi. e., toward or from the pinion.The normal position of the rack is such that the pinion, as it iscarried past it, will escape engagement therewith by a fraction of aninch. As shown in Fig. 7, the rack 56 is provided with sleeves 57, whichare slidably mounted on outwardly-projecting guides 58, strongly securedto a plate 59, which is secured to the side of the vessel below thegunwale. Upon the gunwale, preferably, is mounted a longitudinalrock-shaft 60. This is connected by a rod 61 with an operating-lever 62,which is within easy reach of the engineer. An arm or finger 63, fixedupon said rock-shaft, engages the rack 56, preferably as shown in Fig.8, in such a manner that when the rock-shaft is turned in the properdirection the rack will be thrust outwardly, so as to engage the pinion13 when the latter arrives at one of two points in its path. The rack isyieldingly held. in its normal inoperative position by any suitablemeans. As shown, a spring 64 performs this function. The number of teethin the rack is such as will rotate the pinion ex actly one-half arevolution. It is understood that each rock-shaft operates both theracks 56 on the same side of the boat.

The purpose of the above-described latch 24 is to prevent rotation ofthe vertical shaft 9 during the normal operation of the propellcrs, andthe purpose of the device for retracting the latch is to permit saidshaft to be turned half-way around by the engagement of the pinion 13with rack 56, when it is desired to reverse the facing direction of thepaddles. Hence to operate the latch-lever 26 automatically I provide twoabutments 65 and 66, preferably mounted on the rack itself, so as tomove therewith and not be struck by the latch-lever 46, except whennecessary. These abutments act as such with respect to the latch-leverwhen the lat ter impinges upon them from the outside, but when struckupon their inner faces they will yield and will not displace thelatch-lever. To this end the abutments are mounted pivotally on studs 67and are formed with shoulders 68, which are normally in contact withstop-lugs 69, being pressed thereon by light torsion-springs 70, whichpermit the abutments to yield or turn when struck by the latch-leverupon the inner sides. If the abutments were made immovable, the latch 2%would always be disengaged after the shaft 9 had been reversed, and thepropeller-paddles would be liable to turn askew. The abutments are setat such points that they will release the shaft 9 just before the pinion31 strikes the end tooth of the rack. Thus by a simple movement of lever62 the engineer may reverse the action of the propellers at one side ofthe vessel and by operating the duplicate lever 62 at the opposite sideof the vessel (controlling duplicate mechanism) the opposite paddles maybe reversed.

IV hen all four sets of paddles are reversed in as quick succession aspossible and then the engines stopped, it is obvious that the outspreadpaddles will then form a very efficient brake and will rapidly arrestthe motion of the boat through the water, or the engines may continue torun, and the paddles in that case will simply back water.

The vessel may be turned in its course without turning the tiller. (Notshown.) This is effected by simply stopping one of the engines until thevessel has changed its course sufficiently.

My object in providing means for adjusting the propeller vertically isto provide for the paddles being submerged to about the same depthregardless of the varying load carried by the vessel. For example, ifthe load be increased the hull sinks lower. In that case the paddles maybe raised by turning the hand-wheels 10 in the proper direction.

WVith the old wheel propellers there was a large waste of power, as iswell known, owing partly to what may be termed backlash of the water andpartly to the fact that the wheel has to travel always at an angle tothe ideal angle of the application of power, and, further, perhaps, tothe fact that a considerable quantity of water is elevated by suchpropellers in operation. None of these faults can be predicated of mystraight reciprocating propellers. N 0 water is raised by them and nonedepressed.

There is a continuous propulsion, as one set of paddles is alwayscommencing a stroke when the other set has come to the end of a stroke.The intermediate cog-wheels 43 might be dispensed with, as the cranks 3Sand 39 could be set so as to operate the carriages in the same manner asdescribed, though the cranks would in that case have to be shortened.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is- 1. In vessel-propelling mechanism, thecombination of a reciprocatory carriage, a shaft carried thereby, one ormore propellingpaddles carried by the shaft, a latch mechanism forholding the shaft rigid with relation to the carriage, means forrotating the shaft a half-revolution to face the paddle or paddles in anew direction, and means for automatically disengaging the latchmechanism to release said shaft preliminary to its rotary adjustment.

2. In vessel-propelling mechanism, the combination of a reciprocatorycarriage, a shaft carried thereby, one or more propelling-paddlescarried by the shaft, a latch mechanism for holding the shaft rigid withrelation to the carriage, means for tripping the latch from engagementwith the shaft when the carriage is moving in one direction, means fortripping the latch from engagement with the shaft when the carriage ismoving in the opposite direction, and means for normally holding saidlatch-tripping mechanism in inoperative position with respect to saidlatch mechanism.

3. In vessel-propelling mechanism, the combination of a rotary shaftprovided with one or more propeller-paddles, a reciprocatory carriagecarrying said shaft, yieldinglyactuated means for holding said shaft normally rigid with the carriage, and means for automatically causing saidshaft-rotating means to release the shaft.

4. In vesse1-propelling mechanism, the combination of a rotary shaftprovided with one or more propeller-paddles, a reciprocatorycarriage'carrying said shaft, yieldinglyactuated means for holding saidshaft normally rigid with the carriage, means for automatically causingsaid shaft-holding means to release the shaft, and means for rotatingsaid shaft one hundred and eighty degrees while free to turn.

5. In a vessel-propelling mechanism, the combination of a reciprocatorycarriage, a shaft carried thereby and equipped with one or morepropelling-paddles adapted to face forwardly or rearwardly with respectto the course of the vessel, and provided at opposite sides withgrooves, a latch carried by the carriage and normally engaging one ofsaid grooves, means for withdrawing said latch from the groove, means torotate said shaft .one hundred and eighty degrees, and means for forcingsaid latch into the other groove of the shaft when said groove registerswith said latch, to look the shaft from further rotation.

6. In a vessel-propelling mechanism, a reciprocating carriage, a shaftcarried thereby and equipped with one or more propellingpaddles to faceforwardly or rearwardly with respect to the course of the vessel, alatch for locking said shaft against rotative movement, a pinion rigidwith the shaft, a rack carried by the vessel, means for disposing saidrack in the path of said pinion, and devices carried at each end of therack and immovable as to inward but movable as to outwardmovement, andone of them adapted to trip the latch in the forward and the other inthe rearward movement of the carriage.

7. In a vessel-propelling mechanism, a reciprocatory carriage, a shaftcarried thereby and provided with one or more propellingpaddles, meansfor holding said shaft with the paddle or paddles facing rearwardly, apinion rigid with said shaft, a rack for engagement with said. pinion, alever to move said rack toward the plane of movement of the pinion,means carried by the rack for unlocking said shaft preliminary to theengagement of its pinion by said rack, means for locking the shaft inits new position after being turned one hundred and eighty degreesthrough the engagement of said pinion and rack, and means forwithdrawing the rack from the path of the pinion after the latter hasbeen turned.

8. In a vessel-propelling mechanism, a reciprocable' carriage, avertical rotatable paddle-carrying shaft carried thereby, a pinion keyedupon the shaft, a latch normally preventing rotation of the shaft, ayieldingly-retracted rack mounted on the side of the vessel, means forovercoming the yielding resistance of said rack and moving it toward thecarriage, and a pivoted abutment mounted on the end of the rack inposition to act upon the latch by the movement of the carriage andthereby unlock said shaft just prior to the engagement of the rack bythe pinion, and means to lock the shaft in its new position.

9. In a vessel-propelling mechanism, a

paddle-supporting carriage, means for reciprocating the carriagelongitudinally of the vessel, a vertical shaft upon which the paddlesare mounted, parts rigidly carried by said shaft, and means carried bysaid shaft, in combination with means adapted to cooperate therewith andnormally inoperative, but controllable by an operator, for automaticallycausing a reversal of the facing direction of the paddles by rotatingsaid shaft through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees.

10. In vessel-propelling mechanism, the combination of a reciprocatingpaddle-supporting carriage, a vertical paddle-supporting shaft carriedby the carriage, a pinion keyed upon said shaft, a latch normallyengaging a keyway in said shaft, a latch-releasing lever mounted on thecarriage, a rack engageable with said pinion during a reciprocation ofthe carriage, and adapted to impart a half-rotation to said pinion, saidrack being normally in such a position that it will not be engaged bythe pinion, means for moving the rack to operative position at the willof an operator, and devices mounted upon the rack for engaging saidlatch-releasing lever and thereby unlatching the shaft just prior toengagement of the pinion with the rack.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

MARTIN B. HUNTER. Witnesses H. C. RODGERS, G. Y. THORPE.

